If you've ever worn a low-profile headlamp (e.g. Petzl Tikka) over a brimmed hat, you'll see the basic problem with this concept. The brim casts a shadow that makes up-close work (cooking, reading, looking down at your feet, etc.) very awkward. Powered by two watch batteries, I can't imagine this thing puts out enough light for navigation either.

At least with a Petzl (and most decent lights) you can focus the beam to meet your needs (close up verus navigation) - and they make decent hand held lights when they're not strapped to your noggin!
I can see them selling a bunch of these hats - once - if only for the free gloves and extra watch batteries!

Ed wrote :"Anyone remember Spencer's Gifts? This hat would have been sold there...it would be on the shelf right next to the fart" - perhaps I'll have to get one then, to complete the collection! It would look fantastic with those "X-Ray glasses" as well!

Ooooooo, I like the reflective runner's version. It lets you "see and be seen" (also referred to as "targeted"). Plus (drum roll rrrrrrrrrrrrrr) it comes with an emergency card giving name, address, emergency phone, doctor, allergies, medications being taken, all sorts of good stuff for the paramedics and ER for when the guy with 0.30 blood alcohol doesn't see you running on the wrong side of the road. Hmmmm ..... wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car? Comes in black with a reflective stripe and full reflective.

Bill - just make an attractive chin strap! Funny - deep down I think this is a good idea (the lighted hat, not the home-made chinstrap for hood-bounce retention)- it just seems to have been executed without a lot of thought going into the design, which is a shame.

As for the drunk driver - if the goverment was going to impose anything upon us that I could support it'd be a BAC analysis system integrated to vehicle ignitions - so you couldn't start a car when you were drunk. I don't want the government to track who is trying to drive drunk, but I'd love to stop drunk drivers.

Perhaps for certain Vice Presidents we could integrate a trigger interlock to a BAC analysis unit as well (grin folks, I'm trying to make a funny!) ;=)

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

dax said "Princeton Tec EOS headlamp is inexpensive and worked really really really well recently for me in the caves!"

Yeah, but it doesn't come with a glow in the dark hat or a camo hat {;=>D. Actually, you are right in pointing out that if one is serious about using a headlamp, one of the major climbing or orienteering headlamp manufacturers is the way to go - Black Diamond and Petzl if you want it for skiing or climbing, Princeton for a less expensive one good for camping, Suunto or Silva (Silva Sweden, that is, not the Johnson Silva-labelled) for orienteering (hard to get the orienteering ones in the US, though, and really expensive, but they are really bright with a wide beam for running at full tilt through the woods on a "dark and stormy night"). And Dave pointed out that there are real problems with a headlamp of any kind mounted above the bill of a baseball-type cap (I get around that if running late wearing a baseball-type cap by turning it around to the "cool" shade your neck position).

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

Sorry but that just looks dumb. I understand that its not about "looks" its about function but is there anyone here who can honestly say they wouldnt be embarrassed to wear that? Ok if your "hiking" around the back of your RV to check the water line......and you drive a crown victoria....maybe. If you really like the idea of a lighted cap i'v seen one similar but it had 4 led's and they were mounted 'in' the brim which I would think is much better.

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

SW-CO - you are taking this too seriously. Yeah, these things are for sale and people actually buy them. But then, some people respond to spam and some have apparently sent for their millions of Nigerian dollars or pesos or francs or whatever they are called. We can all get a good laugh out of such things, although I feel sorry for the far-too-many people who waste their money (not that I haven't bought junk that was highly recommended by supposed friends, or worse, gone to restaurants or movies that people have said are fantastically great that turned out to be among the worst experiences I have ever had). As Ed G noted, Spencer's Gifts (and Sharper Image and lots of other stores of that ilk) make lots of money selling such stuff.

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

BILL ... Not quite sure what you mean by taking it too seriously. I found my opinion quite comical and informative with helpful links. Lol oh well...:-) Your right about it though.. overall I feel its just a lil too "gimmicky" and a good quality head lamp would be a better route.

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

hey - how about lighted SHOES - you could use the heel strike motion to generate electricity to power a little headlight on each foot .... in concert with the lighted, reflective camo hat (!) you'd be one stylin' backpacker!

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

Steve, you're in luck. They already make those lighted shoes, but they might only come in kid sizes and you'd probably have to get them with a cartoon character on them. Those and the shoes with little wheels built in are on my never-ever-buy-that list.

Re: wonder how well it stays on when you bounce over the hood of the car?

Alicia -

Somehow I don't think either the lighted shoes OR the ones with the rollers buit into 'em come in a 14EE .... such is the curse of the yeti (bigfoot) .... ;=)

There was a little kid wearing those "light-em-up" shoes at a coffee house that I played last hear - he was dancing around - we turned down the houselights so you got the full impact of his footwork - pretty impressive for (my estimate) a three year old! I'd never considered my music to be a dance mix - but hey - if the crowd is happy who am I to argue?